Daily Archives: August 5, 2017

I decided to create a book generator for quick and easy use. I particularly wanted to create some quick and easy passages to throw out there because oftentimes my players will get a book and one will ask, “so what does it say…?” and I have to create something on the fly that may or may not make total sense.

Book generator

When characters are poking through a library in a dungeon or ruins roll 1d12 for the books name in an ancient language, then roll 1d12 to determine the subject of the book. If a 12 is, the book is special (and magical). Roll 1d12 on the Book is About (Special) Table to discover what the book is about and its special properties.
Need a passage of the book for when your group “reads” it. Roll 1d4 twice on the particular book Passages in the Book. Those are two passages found in the book to add flavor to it. Cross those out once read and two more will remain if a book is ever discovered on a similar subject. Write new passages for the book as desired.

Gain knowledge of a strange ritual of a particular cult (must be deciphered). You can now cast this as a MU equal to half your level, unless you are a MU).

6

Deities

Choose deity in world. Gain ability to speak once with that deity and ask it three questions. Book becomes mundane after that.

7

The Underworld

Within the pages is a contract to be signed. Once signed, the person can summon a merchant of Infernal origins once per week. The merchant will have a wide range of unique, crazy, strange, and bizarre goods (often illegal and deadly). Their prices range from moderate to expensive or unique (i.e., “You want the tears of the fallen hero of the Battle of the Razor Swamps…? I have them- collected from his eyes as he writhes in torment. I only require the essence of four souls.”)

8

Forgotten civilizations

Once per day you can summon a spectral warrior from an ancient civilization. They will fight for you for 1 hour (or until destroyed).

Spectral Warrior: AL: N; AC: As Warrior; HD: 3; HP: 19; #AT: As Warrior, DMG: As Warrior (or by weapon); SP: Immune to critical attacks, fear effects; treat as 4 HD for saves against turning; can only be harmed by magic or magical weapons of +1 or greater.

9

Mammals of the world

The book functions as the Summon Animal spell. You can now cast this as a Druid equal to half your level, unless you are a Druid).

10

Life and death

With the book in your possession you have an advantage over death. The first time you fall in combat (die), there is a 100% chance you survive. This is reduced by 25% until it reaches 0. The book crumbles to dust at this point. This does not recharge per user, but continues at current rate until consumed.

11

Diary of an adventurer’s dungeon dives

The book has the location of a map of a terrifying dungeon filled with treasure. It also shows several treasure stashes within the dungeon hidden by the adventurer.

12

Dragons

You have +2 to Intelligence rolls about dragons. The holder of this book is able to summon a spout of fire, ice, or lightning (as dragon’s breath) once per day for 4d8 damage (Dexterity save for half damage).

Passages in the Book (roll 1d4)

Passages Found in the Book

Healing

1) “Setting the bone is a painful process, but remedies…”

2) “The use of leeches to bleed a sickened patient is most agreeable when swelling or reddening of the afflicted’s flesh occurs…”

3) “In ancient times, it was believed that healing was a source of witchcraft, wizardry, or touch of the divine; these methodologies are all correct.”

4) “Blacked pustules will develop a yellow discharge after three weeks of contamination. The Witch’s Lament is a virulent plague, responsible for countless deaths and nearly impossible to cure.”

Insects

1) “The proboscis of the Fetid Bloat Fly is barbed, making it harder for the creature to be dislodged once it has struck its intended meal.”

2) “Fire Beetles are protective of their territories. You can tell when you are nearing these creatures’ den as the temperature becomes slightly elevated and the smell of sulfur lingers in the air…”

3) “Stirges are putrid pests found mostly in bogs and swamps, however variant species have been discovered in dungeons, caverns, and even in harsh deserts. Their adaptability is quite impressive.”

4) “Ticks suck…”

Plants

1) “The Chiming Orchid Bell has many medicinal properties, including the ability to alleviate the cursed Goblin Flatulence and Swamp Bloat”

2) “Crushing the dried bark of several different species of trees and grinding them into a fine powder creates a mixture that can be inhaled. Once the mixture is inhaled, the person experiences a euphoric almost dream-like state. Risks of barking at the moon, biting the head off of bats, or bed-wetting are at risk, however.”

3) “The Fire Vein Plant is a deadly predator, similar to its lesser kin, the Cracus Human Trap. Barbed leaves shred the flesh of its prey, while simultaneously injecting a toxin that causes unbearable pain and paralysis.”

4) “The Violet Nightshade is a perfect remedy for insomnia. Also when mixed with honey, and a sprig of spearmint it is a nice aphrodisiac. However, if prepared incorrectly causes impotence and bloating.”

Forbidden Arts

1) “The art of eyeball necklace making is a grotesque skill passed down from parent to child in a perverse arts-and-crafts project. It is said that the wearer gains the ability to tell lies without fear of detection.”

2) “The ability to pull blood from a victim is a reviled art practiced by Blood Witches, who use it in many of their mystic arts.”

3) “The practice of storing one’s soul within a phylactery is to preserve oneself from death. However, doing such an act is unnatural and imprisons the practitioner in their unloving body. Most commonly practiced by mad wizards…”

4) “It is whispered that an ancient ritual was used to create tear between the world of the living and the dead, spewing forth countless entities into our world. The countryside was plagued with tides of the undead…”

Cults

1) “The insidious Cult of Shadowed Time is believed to have infiltrated several branches of the kingdom, influencing things from politics to religion, until their expulsion nearly a century ago.”

2) “Azgurath, demon lord of pain, sits on his throne of blood within his castle of pain which rests on a mountain of skulls. He is worshipped by his devoted cult, the Bringers of Famine.”

3) “The Cult of the Total Eclipse of the Heart seek the still beating heart of lovers that have recently had an extreme fight or break up. They believe the sorrow and tragedy found in the lover’s heart is a potent additive to any potion.”

4) “Long ago the Cult of the Withered Hand was put to the sword, their bodies flayed, and then burned in a holy fire of purity to stop them from rising again.”

Deities

1) “It is foretold when the sun is blotted out by a moon of blood, the Lamented Flame Princess will arise from her prison of torment and bring plagues to the world.”

2) “The Sleeping God of Tomorrow shall only awaken when the foretold prophecy of a bovine flying over the night time celestial orb occurs.”

3) “Hazplath is the god of unknown knowledge and guards its secrets jealously. It is said it will bargain for new knowledge with gifts of powerful weapons, parted secrets, or divine blessings.”

4) “The god of the sun is also god of healing, life and warmth. While a benevolent being, the god’s wrath is terrible and, should his ire be provoked, could reduce the world to cinders.”

The Underworld

1) “The underworld is a terrible and bleak place, filled with the anguished cries of the damned. Cyca, one of the guardians of the underworld, punishes interlopers cruelly…”

2) “Sometimes the anger of the departed is enough to call them back to the realm of the living, to forever wander as a vile spirit or trapped in undead flesh, constantly seeking to snuff out the light of the living.”

3) “The Blackened Castle of Flesh is the home to Vrathgrad, prince of Hell. Vrathgrad was defeated and banished to the underworld thousands of years ago after his defeat by…”

4) “Those who claim to have visited the underworld claim that it is always 98 degrees in temperature. Whether these accounts are to believed or not is not up for this scholar to decide, however…”

Forgotten Civilizations

1) “The people of Heezoo-Peezoo were regarded for their prowess in battle, their fine craftsmanship in weaponry and arms, and their tall towers of alabaster. Their civilization came to an end when the Comet of Woe ripped their kingdom asunder.”

2) “The Followers of the Veil were a religious order that governed the people of Hamphrata. They were said to be kind and benevolent; potent healers and brilliant philosophers. It is unclear how or when, but something corrupted the order and, over millennia, they became horrible monsters, malformed and grotesque…”

3) “The remains of the Crathfraw Empire still dot the landscape, showing just how wide and far their reach spread. The ruins are filled with riches, traps, and forgotten knowledge. Only the bravest of adventurers dare to plunge into the depths of these ruins.”

4) “While no great calamity befell the merchant empire of Belgrad, it was their greed and classism the lead to its downfall.”

Mammals of the World

1) “The Redbacked Ape has four arms which it uses to snatch its prey and then bludgeon them to death by throwing them against rocks, trees, and the ground. Its fierce howl is enough to curdle the blood of any…”

2) “The Bog Dog is a strange creature. It is a canine that shares qualities with smiles or oozes. Able to dissolve its own bones and become a shapeless mass that hides in underbrush and waits for its prey to happen upon them. The creatures hunt in packs, one remaining a sludge that hinders prey’s movement, while the others attack and bring their meal down.”

3) “Spiderbats are hideous abominations of the world. Believed to be the crossbreed experiment of a mad wizard, these creatures resemble normal bats, but also have eight legs and eyes, long fangs that drip ichor, and are able to spin webs as a spider.”

4) “The Filth Pig is a disgusting creature that resembles a mix between man and pig. It mews and makes noises that sound metallic and distorted, sending chills down the spine of those who hear it. Oftentimes, government officials liken their rivals as Filth Pigs, a great insult indeed…”

Life and Death

1) “Vile necromancers attempt to capture the souls (or life essence) of the recently departed to use in powerful rituals or imprison the dead into decay corpses to serve as foot soldiers in their ever-growing armies.”

2) “Valeena is considered Queen of the Dead. Her gentle caress will bring even the healthiest being into her cold embrace.”

3) “Many scholars believe that to die is only the end of one journey before beginning another. However, this scholar believes that the realm of the dead is a cold, terrible place. Observation shows those that have been revived for a limited time plead and beg not to be sent back. It was an upsetting observation that caused me some…”

4) The Great Tree of Life is said to glow so brightly that even the darkest evil cannot dim it. Believe to be in a realm lost over eons, its roots touch each other realm of existence in some fashion…”

Diary of an adventurer’s dungeon dives

1) “We delved deeper into the Ruins of the Bloody Princess- poor Fritz was impaled on a trap of strange design. Even I couldn’t see how it was sprung. After the spike pierced Fritz’s chest, his head began to swell to great size before exploding and covering us in his brains! When I sleep, I can still hear his garbled screams.”

2) “Day 17- Somehow we are STILL in this god forsaken dungeon. They aren’t wrong to call it the Maze of Forever Time! We have found mushrooms, bugs, and lichen to sustain us. Fetid water fills our bellies and keeps us going. The torches are old, and beginning to run low. I swear it sounds as though the dungeon is laughing at us.”

3) “This dungeon is of curious construction. The walls are smooth and made of metal. The craftsmanship is more advanced than anything I have ever seen. We ran across a hideous creature our first day in here. He was short and green with a large bulbous head and black orb-like eyes. We put him to the sword before he could get a word out.”

4) “After 3 days we are looking to get out of this tomb of horror! 25 of us decided to raid this tomb, there are only 4 of us left… I fear I will finally meet my end in this terrible place.”

Dragons

1) “Remember you do not have to outrun a dragon, for it is truly impossible. You merely have to outrun the weakest link in your party.”

2) “Ostephis is a dragon who’s scales shimmer gold and bright. He is believed to be one of the few remaining dragons of good and law, before his kind fell in the Wars of Law. He hides deep in a cave now, said to be amassing knowledge and power for the day when the forces of Law will rise again.”

3) “Vileagous is a black dragon known for his potent powers for corrupting the landscape. Within hours of his arrival, fertile land will begin to wither and die. Within days, rains, winds and dank air forms. Within weeks, the land has become a fetid bog filled with snakes, toads, insects, froglings, and worse- goblins and stirges!”

4) “Every dragon as an individual weak spot that they guard and keep hidden. It is a flaw that some hypothesis was created by design to keep dragons in check and provide the lesser races a means of fighting them. It is believed that should this weak spot be struck, the dragon will be slain instantly.”